But first must come the storm by Brooke RadleyBut First Must Come the Storm by Brooke Radley is a lovely professor/student lesbian romance. It’s paced a little slower than I’m used to, but that just makes it all the sweeter.

Millie Carrera is starting her junior year in college. Daydreaming as she’s making her way across campus, she literally walks into a beautiful older woman, making her spill coffee all over herself. Summer Evans refuses to let her pay for a new shirt or dry cleaning, but accepts Millie’s offer of a coffee date. If only Summer didn’t walk into her next class and announce herself as Dr. Evans, Millie’s new Science Writing professor…

The Characters

Millie is bright and driven, taking Science Writing early in hopes of graduating ahead of schedule. She’s attracted to Summer from their first meeting, but also knows she can’t do anything about it while Summer is her teacher. She handles their attraction with maturity while striving for the best possible grades in all of her classes.

Summer is just as attracted to Millie, but with a lot more to lose. She’s working her way towards a tenure-track position when another professor is fired for having an affair with a student. Because all of her friends are other professors or her graduate student, Alex, Summer is isolated, without anyone to talk to about her feelings for Millie. Perhaps that’s why she occasionally behaves childishly, and I was glad to see her grow and become better equipped to be a good partner for Millie.

The Writing Style

But First Must Come the Storm is a gentle read. The relationship between Summer and Millie builds slowly from strictly professor/student to friendship to something romantic. Given the nature of their relationship (how many explosive affairs have we seen between teachers and students in lesfic?), the deliberate pace was much more satisfying than I would have imagined and ended up being perfect, leading to a satisfying ending.

The Pros

I loved how sweet the story is. I was looking for an easy, fluffy book, and this was just right.

The Cons

That title is a mouthful and I’m not sure what it’s supposed to refer to.

The Conclusion

I enjoyed But First Must Come the Storm and would recommend it to anyone looking for a satisfying, gentle story.

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Excerpt from But First Must Come the Storm by Brooke Radley

Millie was so caught up in her daydream that she failed to notice the person standing in front of her until it was too late: she crashed headfirst into a warm body, sending the person careening forward. Millie gasped, arms flailing as she tried to catch her balance. As soon as she was steady on her feet, she rushed toward her unintentional victim. “I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”

The woman was older, with blonde waves that framed her face and tumbled down her back. Tall and slender, she held herself with the poise of someone acutely aware of her beauty. She was confident, almost queen-like. Millie’s mouth went dry at the sight.

The woman’s shoulders were rigid, one fist clenched by her side and the other grasping a coffee cup. Her eyes were squeezed shut. “Um…” The woman took a deep breath and let it out in a big sigh. “No, I’m not.” Her eyes opened, and Millie found herself mesmerized by the piercing blue staring back at her.

Before she could think of the repercussions, Millie reached out to comfort the woman. Her fingertips ghosted the contour of the woman’s upper arm before the blonde took a step back, well out of Millie’s reach. Millie could feel color blossom on her cheeks. She let her hand drop to her side.

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Bits and Bobs

  • ISBN number: 9781911153344
  • Publisher: NineStar Press

Brooke Radley Online

Note: I received a free review copy of But First Must Come the Storm by Brooke Radley book for review. No money was exchanged for this review. I will always review books as honestly as possible and on occasion I refuse to review books.